The Air Jordan 1 Royal Is Finally Dropping—and Soon

The long-awaited reissue of the 1985 classic is finally hitting shelves. Here's what you need to know.

It's not hyperbole to say that the original black-and-red Air Jordan 1s (or Jordan 1 "Breds" as they're sometimes called) changed sneaker culture forever. Thanks to a brilliant ad campaign and the world's best basketball player, they took basketball sneakers from athletic wear to a multi-billionaire dollar brand. (Today, a contract and namesake shoe seems almost as coveted as an actual NBA championship ring.) And while the Breds will always be the O.G.'s of the Jordan Family to sneaker fans, there's another pair of Air Jordan 1s from the early days that sneakerheads and Jordan fans love—and hunt for—equally.

The blue-and-black Air Jordan 1 Royal (sometimes referred to as "Broyal," naturally) first debuted in 1985, the same year as the originals with their Chicago Bulls color scheme. What set the Broyals apart from their predecessor was, well, nothing other than the colors used. As part of the eight Jordan 1 releases in 1985, though, we'd argue the black-and-blue pair were one of the better color combinations (sorry powder blue). That, plus the fact that they're rarer in numbers than the original Breds and have been spotted on Frank Ocean, Kanye West (before he ditched Nike for Adidas), and more of the world's most-watched tastemakers, have only made their demand—and resale prices—skyrocket.

Having avoided too many runs through the Nike Retro machine (where older styles are reissued as shiny new collectible sneakers made with modern details) is certainly a factor that's helped keep Air Jordan 1 Royal interest high. The last time the color combination saw the light of day was in 2013 and before that 2001 (Frank Ocean's version of choice) and prior to that, 1994. Now four years later, they're coming back once more (April 1 if you want to mark your calendars).

Previous retro versions were—at least to the naked eye—the same as the OGs, but any sneakerhead will tell you (politely we're sure) that's far from the case. That's what makes this particular release feel more special than most—it attempts to recreate the 1985 silhouette from every angle. While the 2001 version had a slightly bulkier upper in addition to a nubuck Swoosh (the originals have leather) and the 2013 release saw a noticeable drop off in the leather quality and color (the blue wasn't quite right), this year's pair nails the silhouette (almost identical the originals), the materials (the leather quality feels top notch), and the details (even the box looks like the original). These are the things sneaker collectors look for most. Because after all, buying a rerelease of a sneaker is as much about buying into the nostalgia as it is purchasing a physical item.

Like any major Air Jordan release, the black and royal blue won't be easy to get, and as of yet there's no official stores list available. What we do know is that back in 2001 Jordan released 50,000 pairs of the reissued style. We're certainly hoping for more pairs this time around, but even if the brand floods the market with 250,000 or even 300,000 pairs (Nike's been known to sell 1,000,000 sneakers in a week for some styles), we can guarantee they'll still be gone faster than you can say "sneaker bot."